The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) has launched a safety awareness programme in Hyderabad, urging gig and platform workers to use the City Police’s Hawk Eye mobile application for emergency assistance, reporting violations and accessing police-related safety services.
The campaign is aimed at workers who spend long hours on the city’s roads while delivering services and frequently enter unfamiliar locations. TGPWU founder president Shaik Salauddin said workers should learn how to use the application and activate its emergency features when required.
“Gig and platform workers spend long hours on the roads and frequently enter unfamiliar locations while providing services. Safety must be a priority. TGPWU appeals to every worker to stay alert, learn how to use the Hawk Eye App and use the SOS facility whenever they face an emergency,” Mr. Salauddin said.
The Hawk Eye application includes an SOS emergency alert and location-sharing facility. Through the feature, users can alert friends or relatives and share their details and location with the relevant police authorities during an emergency.
The application also allows users to report crimes and violations. According to the information shared by TGPWU, it provides access to women’s safety support, police officials’ contact details, tenant and employee registration services, and facilities to submit feedback and suggestions to the police.
The initiative places a citywide digital police service at the centre of a safety campaign for workers whose employment requires constant movement through public spaces, residential neighbourhoods and commercial areas. For delivery workers and other platform-based workers, access to an emergency alert and location-sharing facility is linked to the practical conditions of work: extended time on the road, service calls at unfamiliar addresses and direct interaction with customers and the public.
TGPWU’s appeal also highlights the role of worker organisations in connecting platform workers with existing public services. Rather than announcing a separate emergency system, the union is encouraging workers to use a police application that already combines emergency assistance, crime reporting and access to police-related services.
The campaign follows the union’s call for workers across Hyderabad to stay alert and familiarise themselves with the Hawk Eye application before an emergency occurs. The programme’s immediate focus is awareness and adoption of the app’s SOS and reporting functions among gig and platform workers in the city.
